One Song

A flaming ashtray. A saxophone mouthpiece. Blistered fingers. How did one of the Beatles’ most chaotic recording sessions lead to a raucous masterpiece that paved the way for metal? On the first part of this Beatles Two-Parter, Diallo Riddle and LUXXURY dive into the tumultuous creation of “Helter Skelter,” tracking its origins as a 30-minute mellowed out blues-rocker to the review that inspired Paul McCartney to crank the track up to an eleven. Plus, LUXXURY tries to convince Diallo to listen to Wings.

Songs Discussed:

“Helter Skelter” - The Beatles

“Mama’s Pearl” - The Jackson 5

“Helter Skelter” - Mötley Crüe

“Dear Prudence” - The Beatles

“I Can See For Miles” - The Who

“Holidays in the Sun” - Sex Pistols

“Fire” - Arthur Brown

“Birthday” - The Beatles

“Happiness Is A Warm Gun” - The Beatles

“You Really Got Me” - The Kinks

“Exciter” - Judas Priest

“Whole Lotta Love” - Led Zeppelin

“Paperback Writer” - The Beatles

“Long Tall Sally” - The Beatles

“She Loves You” - The Beatles

“Silly Love Songs” - Wings

“Arrow Through Me” - Wings

“Old Siam, Sir” - Wings

“Muzik” - Knoc-Turn’al

“Temporary Secretary” - Paul McCartney

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This week on One Song, we're re-sharing one of our favorite episodes, possibly the greatest ever apology song ever recorded: It’s OutKast’s multi-platinum ode to a complicated relationship and “baby’s drama mama”, Ms. Jackson.

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How did a 21-year-old unknown transform a deeply personal breakup into one of the defining hits of the ’90s? Diallo Riddle and LUXXURY dive into “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette, unpacking the raw vocal performance, the Flea and Dave Navarro-driven groove, the genre-blurring production hidden in the stems, and the cultural moment that launched Jagged Little Pill into a 33-million-copy phenomenon.

Songs Discussed:

“You Oughta Know” - Alanis Morissette

“Only Happy When It Rains” - Garbage

“Unbelievable” - EMF

“Too Hot” - Alanis Morissette

“Straight Up” - Paula Abdul

“Let The Music Play” - Shannon

“All I Really Want” - Alanis Morissette

“Hand In My Pocket” - Alanis Morissette

“You Learn” - Alanis Morissette

“Head Over Feet” - Alanis Morissette

“Ironic” - Alanis Morissette

“Big Exit” - PJ Harvey

“Cornflake Girl” - Tori Amos

“32 Flavors” - Ani DiFranco

“Fast Car” - Tracy Chapman

“You Oughta Know (Jimmy the Saint Blend)” - Alanis Morissette

“Fools Gold” - The Stone Roses

“Pacifics” - Digible Planets

“Barracuda” - Heart

“Fuckin’ In The Bushes” - Oasis

“Little Miss Lover” - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

“Bonin’ In The Boneyard” - Fishbone

“Walk On Water” - Thelonious Monster

“Jerry Was A Race Car Driver” - Primus

“Epic” - Faith No More

“Dungeon Vision” - Earth Tongue

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Is “Just Like Heaven” The Cure’s pop masterpiece? Diallo Riddle and LUXXURY dive into the 1987 crossover hit, unpacking what makes it the purest distillation of The Cure’s sound while tracing the band’s blend of goth atmosphere and euphoric pop across their discography.

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Songs Discussed:

“Just Like Heaven” - The Cure

“Hot n Cold” - Katy Perry

“Believe” - Cher

“I’m Like a Bird” - Nelly Furtado

“All Star” - Smash Mouth

“Irreplaceable” - Beyoncé

“Closing Time” - Semisonic

“Alone” - The Cure

“Lovesong” - The Cure

“Friday, I’m In Love” - The Cure

“High” - The Cure

“Let’s Go To Bed” - The Cure

“A Forest” - The Cure

“Spellbound” - Siouxsie and the Banshees

“Release The Bats” - The Birthday Party

“Eighties” - Killing Joke

“One Hundred Years” - The Cure

“The Lovecats” - The Cats

“The Walk” - The Cure

“Shake Dog Shake” - The Cure

“Fascination Street” - The Cure

“In the Air Tonight” - Phil Collins

“The End” - The Beatles

“Close To Me” - The Cure

“Hot Hot Hot!!!” - The Cure

“Why Can’t I Be You?” - The Cure

“Bandages” - Hot Hot Heat

“In Between Days” - The Cure

“The Blood” - The Cure

“Another Girl Another Planet” - The Only Ones

“Just Like Heaven” - Dinosaur Jr.

“A Forest” - Nouvelle Vague

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Why does “N.Y. State of Mind” still feel like the gold standard for
hip-hop lyricism three decades later? Diallo Riddle and LUXXURY dig into
Nas’ landmark track, tracing its origins from Queensbridge to Columbia
Records, unpacking DJ Premier’s haunting piano sample, and exploring how
a dream team of producers reshaped hip-hop forever.

Songs Discussed:

“N.Y. State Of Mind” - Nas

“Halftime” - Nas

“The Genesis” - Nas

“Professor Booty” - Beastie Boys

“Subway Theme” - DJ Grand Wizard Theodore

“Live At The Barbeque” - Main Source feat. Nas

“Life’s A Bitch” - Nas feat. AZ & Olu Dara

“It Ain’t Hard to Tell” - Nas

“Long Red” - Mountain

“The World Is Yours” - Nas

“Just A Friend” - Biz Markie

“I Love Music” - Ahmad Jamal Trio

“N.T.” - Kool & The Gang

“Gangsta Gangsta” - NWA

“Breathe And Stop” - Q-Tip

“Flight Time” - Donald Byrd

“Mind Rain” - Joe Chambers

“White Rabbie” - Jefferson Airplane

“Milkshake” - Kelis

“This Is How We Do It” - Montell Jordan

“Children’s Story” - Slick Rick

“Mahogany” - Eric B. & Rakim

“I’m Glad You’re Mine” - Al Green

“Five Man Army” - Massive Attack

“New York State of Mind” - Billie Joel

“SexyBack” - Justin Timberlake

“Gin And Juice” - Snoop Dogg

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